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DISCOVER the best of the Med on a deluxe voyage of discovery and culture.

“I’m just going to have another hour with Andrea Bocelli,” says the woman on the next sunlounger, popping her headphones back in her ears. Like most of the 300-odd people onboard the elegant “little” ship Aegean Odyssey, she is smart, well-dressed, fun and on the leisurely side of 60.

Like quite a few people on this Voyages to Antiquity cruise to Seville, Lisbon, Oporto, Vigo, Bordeaux and back to England, she is travelling alone. But no one is really solo on this ship, which is obviously the appeal for many guests, even the couples.

Table hopping is the order of the day at lunchtime at the Terrace Café, and everyone says hello on their way into a lecture in the Ambassador Lounge or for cocktails and entertainment in the Charleston Lounge.

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Friendliness is encouraged, with dance and exercise classes and a mix-and-mingle event for solo travellers, while the staff are cheery and cheeky and seem to remember everyone’s name.

Many of the cruisers are ardent bridge players, who have come with a travelling club called Mr Bridge and who gather in the Observation Lounge for some serious eyes down.

Days start at the Terrace with a buffet breakfast, then it’s into a lecture on maybe Roman theatre or red wine, up to the deck for some reading or, if there’s a trip scheduled, back to cabins to grab bags and sunglasses.

And there’s absolutely no pressure to do anything you don’t want to.

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tourist boats near the Dom Luis I bridge in Porto, Portugal

We joined the cruise late, preferring to go freestyle in Seville, where we stayed in the lovely Palacio Villapanés hotel, a converted palace with a rooftop pool and complimentary bottles of sangria in the fridge.

We wanted to soak up the luxury in case things onboard were spartan, but we needn’t have worried. And we jumped ship at Bordeaux, spending a night at the Le Boutique Hotel, where we got our own kitchen so we could reacclimatise ourselves to cooking our own meals after the Aegean Odyssey, where they don’t like to let two hours go by without some sort of meal on offer.

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The “little” cruise ship Aegean Odyssey

You can forgo the trips if you like. Some prefer having the boat to themselves to take short dips in the icy salt-water pool refilled from the sea every morning.

Or you can customise. We took the coach to Oporto but dodged the cathedral in favour of wine and people watching, and skipped Spain’s most sacred cathedral at Santiago de Compostela for a day at the beach in Vigo.

In the evening, dinner is in the slightly more formal Marco Polo restaurant, or you can go back to the Terrace and choose from a trio of buffets and a pasta station while waitresses keep your glasses topped up with wines from the country you’re sailing around.

In the evening, there are film screenings, the odd cocktail reception, light entertainment from a musical trio and more table hopping in the Charleston. “Are you the entertainment?” someone comes over to ask us, presumably because we’re a good 20 years younger than most people on board. “Not officially,” answers the friend I’ve come with.

As for the lady from the sunlounger who gives us a little wave whenever she sees us, she is never seen on her own for the rest of the duration of the trip. Except when she’s having some private time with Signor Bocelli, that is.

Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship in pictures

Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship in pictures

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A stunning chandelier dominates the lobby

Unwind in a Spa Balcony suit

Relax ing the Spa Thermal Suite

Workout in the fitness centre

The Aqua Park on board the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship

Enjoy the Norwegian Breakaway Sports Complex

Kids and adults can enjoy an ariel adventure or a round of mini golf

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Step out eight feet over the ship with The Plank

Chill out in the arctic Ice Bar

Dine in one of the delicious restaurants such as the Teppanyaki

Dine in the Haven Restaurant

Norwegian Breakaway was named Best New Ship by Cruise Critic editors

The 15-day European Connoisseur cruise from Seville to London via Lisbon, Oporto, Vigo, Bordeaux, Falmouth, Dartmouth and Honfleur costs from £2,550 per person and includes nine tours, all meals, drinks with dinner and gratuities onboard, guest speakers and shore excursions. For more information and to book, visit voyagestoantiquity.com or call 01865 302550. Simon also stayed at Palacio Villapanés, Seville (palaciovillapanes.com) and Le Boutique Hotel, Bordeaux (hotelbordeauxcentre.com).